A sour blend of business and politics

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Scotland’s whisky industry has been, over the years, one of the most
successful lobbyists in the business. It has used its position as the
country’s leading exporter to persuade successive chancellors to limit the
duty imposed on its products; it has worked successfully to persuade
countries such as Japan and, most recently, India, to lower their import
tariffs; it defends its brands and its good name with vigour; it has even
argued that the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) should be kept off the
register of lobbyists, on the grounds that everyone knows what it is and
what it is campaigning